Nicki Quarterman

Doctoral Researcher 

Research Topic

Exploring the lived realities of children with profound intellectual disabilities in the UK education system.

Research Overview 

This study aims to extend our understanding of how children with profound intellectual disability (PID) make sense of their everyday experiences in educational settings.  Using an ethnographic approach, this study seeks to capture the lived experience of children with PID as they move through the different educational stages of schooling in the United Kingdom (UK).  Drawing on, in part, the methodology developed by Simmons and Watson (2014), this study will use hermeneutic interpretive phenomenology to explore and construct meaning and understanding of the participants’ lives. 

Research Interests

• Posthumanism and disability
• Profound and Multiple learning difficulties
• Severe learning difficulties
• Augmentive and Alternative Communication (AAC) and technology for people with disabilities
• Ableism as a meta-narrative

Research Supervisors

Dr Lila Kossyvaki and Dr Sarah Benson

Professional Memberships

Education and Training Foundation (Fellow)

Research Projects

• STORIE (Dr Julie Allan) – short autoethnographical submission
• ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Impact Lab – Children and Childhood Network – Increasing meaningful engagement of parents with children with special educational needs.  Joint proposal with several other researchers emerging from Impact Lab, pending funding.

Publications

 Research Gate profile: Nicki Quarterman

Source of Funding

Employer-funded.

Contact Details

Email: NJQ951@student.bham.ac.uk